Other Species
Arachnid Arachnids are a class (Arachnida) of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some species the front pair may convert to a sensory function. The term is derived from the Greek word aráchnē, meaning "spider". Almost all adult arachnids have eight legs and may be easily distinguished from insects by this fact, since insects have six legs. However, arachnids also have two further pairs of appendages that have become adapted for feeding, defense, and sensory perception. The first pair, the chelicerae, serve in feeding and defense. The next pair of appendages, the pedipalps have been adapted for feeding, locomotion, and/or reproductive functions. Arachnids are further distinguished from insects by the fact they have no antennae or wings. Like all arthropods, arachnids have an exoskeleton, and they also have an internal structure of cartilage-like tissue called the endosternite, to which certain muscle groups are attached. The endosternite is even calcified in some Opiliones. Like Earth, Valhalla has archnids as well, however they are of extraordinary size, being as large a small dog. One species, the Fyorlag Spiders, hunting methods have been implemented as efficient combat tactics in the southern regions of Ticalla. The Fyorlag Spiders serve as scouts for General Aquilla, and protect their homelands from the insidious Marro Doggin Doggin are animal creatures totally unlike the Marrden Nagrubs and Hounds or any other animal species in Heroscape. The Doggin species is hairless, having no fur to protect them from overheating in extremely hot temperatures or to provide warmth in areas of extremely cold temperatures, instead they are covered in a strange mix of skin and scales. While they are highly intelligent, smarter then dogs or even dolphins, they are still non-senitent, unable to speak or read. Doggin are born with multiple eyes, these eyes help them hunt by providing vision all around its body and allows it to escape from being hunted by other creatures. Doggin also have a muscle system simlar to a domestic cat that can provide them with extreme speed and ability to sneak up on its prey. Only one Doggin as been summoned to Valhalla, the great hunter of their kind: Dünd. Dzu-Teh Dzu-Teh – literally ‘The Hulking Living Thing’—is a Nepalese word for the Himalayan Red Bear, that has been associated with the Yeti and Abominable Snowman phenomenon from its early inception, due to the location of its habitat. With regards to the Yeti myth, the Dzu-Teh is said to be a type of creature proportioned more like a gigantic ape-man. According to reports, the Dzu-Teh is a giant, very tall and bulky, with a long, dark, shaggy coat, a flat head, and a beetling brow. It has long, powerful arms and huge hands, and very humanlike feet that leave imprints like those of a giant man, but clawed. These creatures are said to be able to stay for long periods in the ruggedest country, and to be stock raiders. They are rumored to have been seen innumerous times walking on all fours, looking almost like a bear, perhaps the origins of the association with the Himalayan Red Bear. Locals say that the Dzu-Teh is not found either in the Himalayas or the Southern Tibetan Rim, nor even in the Nan Shans, but to be confined to the unnamed triangle between these, upper Indo-China, and the Chinese escarpment. Whether or not they exist on Earth, Dzu-Teh do exist in Valhalla, appearing to be a native species of the planet, dwelling in the frozen Thaelenk Tundra. They are loyal to Jandar, but no one, including the Valkyrie himself, knows why. Elementar The Elementars are a race of silican base lifeforms from deep within the world of Valhalla. They are believed to be the parent-race of the Moltarns. They are sentient beings fromed of stone, roughly humanoid in height, with humanoid features. The Elementars have an affinity for mountainous, rocky terrain. High ground is their natural habitat, and they can seemingly melt into rocky cliffs, only to reappear at the top. They can hurl large boulders with incredible force and accuracy. Their preferred method of close-combat attack is to tumble down upon their enemies from high ground like a rocky landslide. The Elementars are guardians of the mountainous regions close to the Ticalla Jungle, among other regions. Although they intially stayed out of the Valhallan war, they have since thrown their lot in with the newest sixth General Aquilla, although their reasons for allying with her are unknown. Some speculate that they wish to rein in their offshoot race, the Moltarns who serve Utgar and as Aquilla is the initiator of the alliance against Utgar, they have joined to bolster her limited forces. The most predominant of their number are the Granite Guardians. Fiantooths Fiantooths are a sentinent species from the planet Feylund. This race appears to be some sort of sub-species of trolls that have become werewolves. In appearance, Fiantooths look like large werewolves with horns on their heads and thighs. They are extremely fast and have a strange bond with roads and bridges, the areas where they are mostly likely to be found on Feylund. The most famous Fiantooths are the Dumutef Guards, who serve as bridge and road guards for Utgar. They can usually be found in the company of Anubian Werewolves and other devourers. Giant The Giants 'that inhabit the planet of Feylund are apparent members of a forest dwelling race that holds importance in ties of family and brotherhood. Their enemies are barbarians that possibly hunt them down for glory and the fame for their people. The only giant introduced in the Heroscape Universe is Jotun, who allied himself with Ullar after the Valkyrie saved his life. Jotun has two brother: Halgo and Demicus. It is unkown what relationship Giants have with the other races of Feylund, the elves, werewolves, dwarves and undead. Or who the "barbarians" are, prehaps early elves as it is also unknown from what Age of Feylund Juton comes from. ''D&D Heroscape, by some considered a sub-game, also has several Giants, but not like those from Feylund, like previously seen in Heroscape. Instead favoring those from the D&D Universe. See more here. Gryphillin The '''Gryphillin '''are a non-sentient race of winged animals from Feylund not unlike a hippogryph from mythology. However, instead of possessing the talons of hawk, the Gryphillin have horse’s hooves. They are apparently used as mounts, the way Humans use horses, by the Elves on Feylund. Theracus is currently the only known Gryphillin in Valhalla. He serves the general Ullar. A hippogryph (sometimes spelled hippogriff) is a mythical beast based upon various mythologies. It is part eagle and part horse, the offspring of a gryphon and a horse. The reason for its great rarity is that gryphons traditionally regard horses as food. It has been suggested this idea was strong enough in medieval times to produce an expression, "to mate gryphons with horses", which meant about the same as the modern expression, "When pigs fly". The hippogryph was therefore a symbol of impossibility and love. The hippogryph, in legend is said to be far faster, stronger and more intelligent than their fathers, the gryphon, apparently traveling at the "speed of lightning". Insect '''Insects (from Latin insectum: "cut into sections") are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. The life cycles of insects vary but most hatch from eggs. Insect growth is constrained by the inelastic exoskeleton and development involves a series of molts. The immature stages can differ from the adults in structure, habit and habitat and can include a passive pupal stage in those groups that undergo complete metamorphosis. Insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis lack a pupal stage and adults develop through a series of nymphal stages."Insect Physiology" McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, Ch. 9, p 233, 2007 The higher level relationship of the hexapoda is unclear. On Earth fossilized insects of enormous size have been found, including giant dragonflies with wingspans of 22–28 inches. Insects typically move about by walking, flying or occasionally swimming. As it allows for rapid yet stable movement, many insects adopt a tripedal gait in which they walk with their legs touching the ground in alternating triangles. There are millions of species of insect native to Valhalla, as elsewhere. One of these is the burrfly. The burrfly is a largeHeroscapers.com: The Book of the Marro Drudge, poisonous fly native to the Ticalla Jungle. One burrfly was befriended by the Kyrie Priestess Aquilla, called Sujoah. When Aquilla became a Valkyrie, she accidentally magnified him to a huge size with her newfound power. Now he serves in her army as a formidable ally and bodyguard, his poison much more deadly now that he is of enormous size. Moltarn The Moltarns are race of sentient beings of heated rock and lava, they inhabit Volcarren, as well as all the other areas that make up the land bridge that connects the southern continent (the jungle realm of Aquilla) to the northern one (the regions of Jandar, Ullar, Vydar, Einar and Utgar.) The Moltarns are commonly believed to be a sub-race of the Elementars, great elemental-like beings who are not carbon base lifeforms (like humans) but silicon based lifeforms. They are pure sentient living stone. Moltarns differ from common Elementars in that their bodies are heated to the temperature of molten lava. It is unknown why this is so, prehaps they live deeper underground, prehaps it is because they dwell in the Volcarren, the volcanic site of one of the wellsprings or prehaps their Lava Stone of Volcarren has mystical properities which enhance their bodies in this way. Reguardless, the Moltarns are roughly humanoid in height, with humanoid features, and they have no eyes, only hollow indentions filled with flames. The Moltarn are lifeforms of stone and fire, and as such, they are capable of walking through rivers of molten rock and magma with no harm to themselves. They are also capable of hurling semi-melted stones of extreme heat at opponents while semi-submerged in lava, and they don't have to stop when they enter into lava in battle. As a consequence of their hot fiery forms, they are weaker if they enter water, because the water will significantly weaken them and may render them helpless to any oncoming attacks. The Moltarns, like the Kyrie, are native to the planet of Valhalla. They appear to be highly superstitious, obeying whomever aquires their precious Lava Stone of Volcarren or prehaps this stone is the source of what makes them differ from the Elementars and they will do anything to insure its safety. Directly in charge of its safety are the Obsidian Guards, so dedicated to the Stone are they, that they will obey whoever holds it hostage. Currently Utgar has gained possesion of the Stone. Ogre The Ogre species is a brutish breed of hard-hitting guards and attackers. Typically Ogres stand between nine and ten feet tall and can weigh up to 650 lbs. Ogres are closely related to trolls, and are distantly related to the various races of giants. While in most mythology Ogres have the same number of eyes as humans, in the Heroscape Universe Ogres have only one eye, bluring the line between Ogre and Cyclops. Feylundian Ogres (or Cyclops) are said to be a smarter breed then Ogres in most mythologies. Along with the standard brute strength, the Feylundian Ogre has an awful single yellow eye, which grants it the ability of counterattacks against ranged attacks, riddling range units when the Ogre defends against their shots. Also with this ability, the Feylundian Ogre can attack multiple adjacent enimies, keeping focus with its eye while striking with its massive club. This breed serves as guards, their eye ever-vigilant for trespassers, whom they will not take mercy on. Gurei-Oni is a notorious Feylundian Ogre, summoned by Einar to torment his enimies in battle. Gurei-Oni's name is a nod to creatures from Japanese folklore called Oni, variously translated as demons, devils, ogres or trolls. They are popular characters in Japanese art, literature and theater. D&D Heroscape, a sub-game, also has several Orgres, but not of the true Heroscape type, instead from the D&D Universe. See more here. Quasatch Quasatch 'are native primative creatures of Valhalla. They inhabit primarily the Ticalla jungle region and the mountainous region of Feldspar and other forested/jungled terrain. Primitive, primate-like creatures, they live in tribal, hunter-gatherer societies. Intruders into their jungle domain are fiercely resented and resisted. In battle, they become filled with a wild frenzy and go into a berserk rampage. Do to their primative lifestyle and isolationist ways, advanced techonology - such as that possessed by the inhabitants of Alpha Prime or 21st century Earth - frighten them and is viewed as a threat. The Soulborg are seen as the incarnation of technology and the Quasatch bear an especial fear/hatred towards them. The Quasatch stayed out of the War on Valhalla until the Marro Infestation threatened their home jungles. While the Marro saw the jungle (not unlike that of their homeworld: Marr) as a resource to be easily consumed, they did not count on hordes of Quasatch emerging out of the same jungle to assemble under Aquilla's standard in retaliation. Troll '''Trolls '''are large semi-intelegent humanoid beings. Like Elves, Dwaves, giants and ogres they come from the fantasy-based world of Feylund. Trolls are massive, predatory species of giant-kin that are closely related to Ogres. The average Troll stands 9-feet (2.7 m) high and weighs roughly 500 lbs. (227 kg), though males tend to be a bit larger than females. The hide of Trolls is rubbery, and usually either moss green, putrid grey, or mottled gray and green. Their coarse hair is typically iron grey, or greenish-black. Trolls initially seem to be somewhat shorter, due to their sagging shoulders and tendency to hunch forward. They walk with an uneven gait, and their arms dangle and drag the ground when running. Despite this apparent awkwardness, Trolls are quite agile. When wounded, they fight all the more fiercely. ''D&D Heroscape, a sub-game, also has several Trolls, but not of the true Heroscape type, instead from the D&D Universe. See more here. Trolticor '''Trolticors are centaur-like creatures, but instead of being half man, half horse, they are half Feylundian troll, half giant lion. They are from the planet Feylund, from a fiery region strewn with lava fields known as Wolflin. Thus, they are immune to lava. Apparently they are used as mounts, whether willingly or as slaves is unknown. It would seem that it is some sort of alliance, as they are powerful beasts and not easily ensalved. In addition, unlike most creatures used as mounts, trolticors are sentient beings. In battle, they enter a blood frenzy, inflamed by the sight and smell of the blood of the foes they have slain. This propels them to incredible heights of ferocity as they attack mercilessly and without pause. The only trolticor in HeroScape at the present is Brunak. References Category:Species